The Field of the Invention
The present invention is drawn to hair diffuser that is removably attached to a conventional hand held hair dryer and houses a means for providing a scented fragrance onto a user's hair when the hair dryer is in use.
It is common for hair diffusers to come in a variety of shapes, lengths, and have multiple attachments means for securing to the end of a conventional hand hair dryer. For example, the diffuser may be press fitted, screwed, or even secured to an end of the hair dryer by use of hook and loop fastener. In addition, some diffusers are also capable of discharging a fragrance to a user's hair. For example, when a hair diffuser is secured to a hair dryer by any appropriate means, the hair dryer may then be used in a manner that allows the hot air of the dryer to come in contact with scented discs or other means for providing a fragrance, thus “diffusing” or vaporizing the desired fragrance or scent onto the hair of the user.
There have been attempts to ensure that these type of hair diffusers are efficient at diffusing hot air and fragrances in a manner that reduces the likelihood of the loss of hot air at diffuser attachment locations, as well as increasing the life of the scented disc or sheet. However, there still exists a need for an apparatus that is capable of providing the utility of all of the aforementioned elements of a hair diffuser.
Description of Related Art
An examination of the prior art of record discloses various types of hair diffusers and hand held hair dryer attachments. U.S. Pat. No. 5,241,974 to Tsai (herein “Tsai-974”), discloses a hair appliance for directing warm air to hair. The hair dryer 1 is comprised of air concentrator 2 that is snap or press fitted onto barrel 10 of the hair dryer. A reservoir 30 is attached external of air concentrator 2 and can be filled with a liquid 301 that through capillary action can be absorbed onto a liquid permeable member 34. Member 34 is fireproof cotton and is housed within the air concentrator 2, such that when in contact with hot air generated within barrel 10, the member 34 is evaporated therein. The now evaporated liquid 301 is entrained within the hot air stream and can be applied onto hair of a user for multiple purposes. There is also a heat insulating member 322 that is used to prevent reservoir 30 from being damaged as a result of high temperatures generated by use of the hair dryer. Tsai-974 fails to disclose an easily accessible housing for the member 34 that is within the air concentrator itself located at the interface of the air concentrator 2 and the barrel 10, this allowing for maximum heat efficiency of the dryer, as well as a means for lengthening the life of member 34.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,572,800 to West (herein “West-800”), discloses an air freshening attachment for hair dryers. The diffuser attachment 12 is securably attached to conventional hair dryer 10 by means of tapered interior 24 of body section 20 of attachment 12, thus allowing for attachment to dryer barrels having multiple configurations and sizes. Fragrance elements 40 and 50 are adapted to be placed within attachment 12 such that when the hot air stream from dryer 10 comes in contact with the fragrance elements 40, 50, vaporizing freshening material 48 of elements 40, 50 is vaporized releasing a scent into the air stream for application onto a user's hair. West-800 fails to disclose a simple fragrance element that is relatively thin and comprised of a single disc or wafer, nor discloses a means for ensuring maximum heating efficiency of the unit while providing a simple securable connection of the attachment to the dryer.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,649,370 to Russo (herein “Russo-370”), discloses a delivery system diffuser attachment 12 for a hair dryer 14. A cup member 34 of diffuser attachment 12 is secured to barrel 22 of dryer 14 by a retaining structure 40 having a shaft 58 one end of which is secured to cup member 34 and the other end of which is secured to strap 60, the ends of strap 60 being securable together by hook and loop fastener around end 42 of barrel 22. The interior compartment 54 of attachment 12 has a holding assembly 44. Assembly 44 is attached to member 34 by attaching element 70, 80 and has small container 68 comprised of a perforated box 72, 76. Box 72, 76 has a perforated lid 78 that is hinged thereto. The box can contain a scented particulate material or a gel/cream therein that can vaporize when in contact from a hot air stream generated from dryer 14. Russo-370 fails to disclose a less cumbersome means of attaching the diffuser to the hair dryer, but more importantly, fails to disclose scented material that is without residue, such as a gel or cream and is completely subject to the force of the entire hot air stream, thus allowing for complete and even distribution of the vaporized scented material.
US Patent Application Publication No. US 2013/0025106 A1 to Hernandez-Laines (herein “Laines-106”), discloses a retention mechanism for retaining a concentrator nozzle 16 to a hair dryer 10 to prevent the nozzle from inadvertently detaching from the dryer during operation. Dryer 10 can be rotatably secured to nozzle 16 by button receiving portions 18 engaging therewith buttons 12 of dryer 10. In addition, heat resistant elastomeric member 40 can be inserted between the nozzle and dryer at the connection point to aid in the retention of the two components to each other. Laines-106 fails to disclose a simple connection between the diffuser and dryer without special added structure, i.e., “buttons” that works with hair dryers of various circumferences.
None of the aforementioned prior art of record addresses the utility of a universal hair diffuser attachable to conventional hair dryers having a means for providing a scented fragrance onto a user's hair when the hair dryer is in use, while providing a simple and easy means of accessing or replacing the scented material and maximizing heating efficiency of the hair dryer as it vaporizes the scented material. Herein lays the novel aspects of the instant invention that will be discussed in detail.